A Generation After Genocide: Catholic Reconciliation in Rwanda

Abstract

Despite the Catholic Church's majority status and deep historical influence in Rwanda, Catholic reconciliation work in postgenocide Rwanda has received scant scholarly attention. This article addresses this lacuna through analysis of four separate Rwandan Catholic reconciliation initiatives in prison ministry, parish ministry, justice and peace commissions, and a spiritual retreat center. The author argues that these case studies provide a theological tapestry of reconciliation themes concerning ritual, community, dialogue, forgiveness, and grassroots leadership. Deep ambiguities remain, especially concerning the institutional Church's need to repent for corporate complicity in the 1994 genocide. © 2015, Theological Studies, Inc. All rights reserved.